MOSCOW, May 05. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law prohibiting explicit language in literature and arts, mass media products, at concerts, theatrical performances, entertaining events, as well as in films. The law now available at the official site of Russian law publications pravo.gov.ru is set to take force as soon as July 1.

The document stipulates fines for performing the mentioned events with obscene language in public, while determining which words and expressions are not compatible with Russian literary language from now on is within the competence of “an independent examination”.

The fines for foul language are about $56-70 for individuals, $112-140 for officials, $1,117-1,396 for legal entities. The law also stipulates higher fines and a three-month suspension of business activities for repeated offence.

The law’s considerable innovation is the ban on issuing distribution certificates for films with foul language, whereas offenders screening films without a certificate will face fines of $1,396-2,793. A second offence entails a fine of $2,793-5,586 or up to three-month suspension of business. Moreover, the law says a Russian film using bad language cannot be deemed national.

Audio and video goods and books falling under the new legislation are to be marked with a warning sign and sold in a sealed package. Failure to mark goods will lead to a fine similar to that stipulated for foul language in performances, concerts and films. However, the rules do not apply to the products issued before the day the law has taken effect.